Written By Kathy Harmon-Luber
If you’re in pain, you’re not alone. One in five Americans has chronic pain. So, beyond prescription meds, what can we do to take the edge off fast?
Actively Listen. Pain is a signal to listen to your body and make positive self-care choices. Ask: What are you trying to tell me? If your pain gets worse with activity, your body is warning you. Pay attention to that. What do I need right now? Rest? Or gentle movement: yoga/chair yoga, massage, myofascial release, acupuncture, stretching? Ice or heat? Where is my threshold? Five minutes of standing? An hour of sitting? Keep a journal to help track what makes your pain better/worse.
Breathe Intentionally. When we’re in pain, muscles tighten and breathing becomes clenched. Tension makes pain worse. Research demonstrates that pain can diminish
with deep, healing breaths. Conscious, full breathing can: 1) slow the mind and calm us when panicked by our pain level, 2) reduce muscle tightness, which may help dial pain down a notch, 3) bring blood flow to the painful area, which is vital to healing. Imagine breathing directly into the painful area (e.g., hip). Visualize your breath entering that specific area and oxygenating the cells there.
Mindful Distraction. Jon Kabat-Zinn suggests a brilliant mindfulness method: Focus on the parts of your body that aren’t experiencing pain. Similarly, listening to music you love can provide temporary distraction from pain, and healing.
Combined, active listening to pain, intentional breathing, and mindful distraction can help dial down pain fast!
